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Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Morning Everyone
We are making Christmas tags for you at Woodware this week.

I made a pile of tags for my Christmas prezzies. How organised am I this year, thank you Dorothy.

I started my tags by creating a masterboard on a sheet of blue card stock. I also made one on a sheet of lighter blue card but I forgot to take a photo of that one.

I stamped and embossed the large snowflake first using thin household bleach and then Shabby Green Frantage powder. Create a stamp pad for the bleach out of a piece of cut and dry felt.

The paler blue card has been stamped with bleach and then Silver Detail Embossing powder. The bleach obviously wasn't quite dry in places and so there is a slightly ghosted image where a little of the powder has stuck.

I also stamped and embossed the sentiment from an old favourite stamp set and then painted the tiles with bleach to take out some of the colour.

I cut the masterboard up into tag sized strips and then used the fabulous Tag Top Punch to shape the tops of the tags.

The beauty of this punch is that I was able to use up all of the left over pieces, no matter how narrow to create beautiful tags.

Two pieces of card were enough to create 16 tags, each one just very slightly different.

I added the names using Peel-off letters stuck to white card, and finished them off with some dotty white ribbon.
Quick and easy, and such fun to make.
Have a great day.

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Evening Everyone,
I have been having a wonderful time during my week off work, making Christmas cards.
I'm on a bit of a mission to use up all those bits and pieces that I seem to have accumulated over the years. I have had a bit of a sort out, narrowing down those bits that I really will get around to using.
I have put the other bits to one side for Davina to use with her ladies at the Cancer Centre. I'm sure they will get some use out of them, and if not they can go in her recycling box just as easily as in mine. One man's trash is another mans treasure after all lol.

One of the treasures that I found were some pieces of card that had been embossed to look like knitting.

I stamped and embossed the jumpers onto kraft card and added a bit of sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen.

The background stamp CRY033 Santa Words has been stamped and embossed using Versamark ink and Snowflake Embossing Tinsel which is lovely and sparkly.
Now what shall I sort out tomorrow, although I suppose really I should start writing all the Christmas cards that I have made or they will be late again like every other year. :O)
Hugs Kimx

Monday, 28 November 2016

Evening Everyone,
One of the techniques that we have played with over the last few months at Davina's is Zentangle.
Now I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to doodling, I tend to stick with safe and simple straight lines. I have loads of books on the subject for inspiration, but I am not very imaginative without their help.

This card was finished after one such class.

The flowers and leaves are individual stamps from an old Penny Black set Petal Party.

Of course it is a nice easy one to use for Zentangle as there are lines there all ready for you to fill in with your doodles.

Once I had finished doodling in all of my leaves and flowers I fussy cut, shaped and layered them onto my card.

The centres of the flowers have been covered with Glossy Accents.

The diamond background panel to the card has been die cut and layered onto a DSS Sheet. I added fine glitter but it didn't stick very well so I added a sheet of acetate over the top to stop it from shedding which is of course impossible to photograph properly.

I added some Card Candi to the corner which I also coated with Glossy Accents.
I think that it is about time that I entered a challenge or two so I would like to enterCrafty Friends Challenge - Blossoms. Use flowers on your creation.

This is a rather less elaborate card using a beautiful Hobby Art Ivy stamp.
I drew the square border around the stamped image using a square stencil that I die cut from a sheet of acetate. I also added some glitz with a Starlight pen.
I would like to enter this into the challenge atSparkles Christmas Challenge - Holly and Ivy. I hope my card counts with just Ivy on it.

A little more stamping on this one and a black and white border.
I really must try and be a little more adventurous, although I am more than happy with the finished result, as was my Granddaughter who chose the floral card to give to her best friend for her birthday today.
Happy Birthday Flick, hope you had a great day.
Hugs Kimx

Sunday, 27 November 2016

Evening Everyone,
I spent a wonderful, if rather emotional day in Peterboro yesterday.
I went up for the final opening of SirStampalots bricks and mortar shop.

Of course I had to make a card for the occasion.

I used a wonderful old Magenta stamp that I had used in a demo there a while ago.

I sponged the white embossed images with dye based inks,

and then painted the flowers to highlight them.

The central panel has been diecut and mounted onto the card using silicon.
Janice was playing guess the sentiment stamp, which I'm afraid nobody won cause I can't remember who makes it lol.
Fortunately the business will be continuing on line, which is the best news, so I will still be able to shop.
They are also hoping that in the spring, when they have had a chance to settle into their new premises, they will still have occasional classes and demo days along with a pop up shop. So I am confident that I will still be able to visit.
The place was heaving with old friends who had all come to say their farewells, and watch the lovely Michelle demo all things Stix2.
There was lots of yummy food, all bad for you, and plenty of coffee. And also the most amazing cake, which was very hard to photograph.

All the craft items were made of icing but looked real enough to use.

I would like to think that Janice and Andy have been having a well earned rest today, but I know that the reality is that they have been busy packing up and moving things into their new unit.
So here's to many more happy years as an on-line business, and a heartfelt thank you for everything that they have done for me when I have visited , demoed and shopped with them.
Good Luck with your new venture Guys, you deserve it.
Hugs Kimx

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Morning Everyone,
Happy Saturday. I hope that you will soon be settling down to watch the first of Hobby Art Jenny's shows on Hochanda (Sky channel 663) at 10am, followed by two more at 2pm and 5pm.

I had a fabulous time, as always, playing with the new designs.
Here is just one of the cards that I made.

The central panel has been created by dabbing a dye based inks pad (Denim Kaleidacolour multicoloured pad) onto an acrylic block.
Spritz with water and then place the block on to a piece of watercolour cardstock as if it were a stamp.

Once this panel was dry I stamped and embossed the feather onto it using black Versafine ink and clear embossing powder.
I painted the image with a wet paintbrush and then used kitchen roll to remove the ink.
Once I achieved a depth of colour that I liked I painted the image with a clear Wink of Stella brush.

The background to the card was created using both the sentiment stamped and embossed in black, and another of the feathers from the set stamped with versafine and then dusted with Pearlex Powder.
I hope that you enjoy the shows today.
I look forward to seeing what the rest of the DT have come up with to inspire you. It always amazes me how different everyones creations are.
Have a great day.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Friday, 25 November 2016

Evening Everyone,
Just a quick post today as I have been having way too much fun playing while I have a couple of days off work. I did manage a visit to the gym as well so I am feeling quite virtuous.
I am trying very hard to work my way through the hundreds of photos that I have taken over the years. I take a picture and a photocopy of all of the cards that I send.
I know it sounds very sad but it is also a fabulous reference library when I am stuck for an idea.

It also just goes to show how my style has evolved over the years.
Here are a couple of cards that I made quite some time ago.

This one uses a rather old, but very much loved Hobby Art stamp.

I did a bit of paper piecing with it to add dimension.

This one is also a Hobby Art stamp which I have used both as a centre piece and also as a background.

I think this last one is a Magenta stamp, but I could be wrong since Hobby Art made several stamps along these lines. I have layered it over a background created using dye based inks and a stencil.
Better get back to playtime, I have to make the most of it.

Thursday, 24 November 2016

Morning Everyone,
We are bringing you ideas for Quick Christmas Cards over at WoodwareWitterings this week in case you are starting to panic..

I played with a lovely old Woodware stamp set FRCL047 Mr Frosty and a new Stampendous one CRY032 International Snow.
I don't like making the same card twice so I made several different cards for you from the same set.

Instead of fussy cutting the snowman out as in the first card, I created a mask and stamped over him so that he looks as if he is standing in front of the sentiment panel.
Like all of the dark cards I used thin bleach to take the colour out of the image before painting back in with watercolour Pearlex and Sparkle pens.

These two are probably the nearest I get to making the same card.

Once again I fussy the snowman panel and added him over the sentiment using silicon.

My final card took a little more time because of the border, although the central panel has been created in the same way as the rest of the cards.
I hope you can find a few ideas here to help you with those last minute Christmas cards.
Have a great day.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Evening Everyone,
I'm sorry for the later than normal post, but I have just spent a fabulous and totally spontaneous day of shopping with my Girls.
I must be honest and say that it is not usually my thing, but I had a great time especially looking after Emma in Primark while the others were trying things on. She got bored in the buggy so I got her out. Big mistake. She thought that it was hilarious being chased around the store by her 'Mamma'. So I did get my work out today, just not at the gym.

I had some new stamps to play with recently because Hobby Art Jenny will be back on the box on Saturday.

Of course they have to remain secret until then, so here are a couple of cards that I made using this months Special CS154D Irises to whet your appetite.

I reached for my 'bits box' for this card and stamped and embossed the image a couple of times onto a piece of handmade background paper.

For this card I stamped, embossed and painted a single Iris which I then fussy cut out,

before adding it to a pretty die cut panel.
I hope that you will tune in to Hochanda at 10am, 2pm and 5pm on Saturday 26th November to join Jenny and see all the fabulous samples that the DT have created.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

die based inks and my Grand Caliber Embossing machine.
I placed some coloured paper behind the windows and then added Glossy Accents.

The greeting is from a rather old, but well loved Hobby Art stamp set.
I think this has a rather autumnal/wintery feel which goes rather well with the weather that we are having of late.
Have a great day.
Happy Crafting and hugs
Kimx

About Me

I am a self confessed 'Stampaholic' living with my family in Surrey.
I am known as the 'Granny in the Attic' and have six Grandchildren
Megan(17), Reece(15), the twins Saskia and Ciaran(10), Emma (2) and Chloe born October 2017.
I work full time in a BP Simply Foods petrol station and then craft in
my spare time.
I have written two books. The first on Teabag Folding and the second on
Rubber Stamping, both for Search Press.
I have written numerous articles in the past for magazines including Craft Stamper, Quick Cards Made Easy and Cardmaking and Papercraft.
I teach classes in Purley and have
demonstrated at many of the major Stamp Shows.
I am on the Design Team for Woodware and Hobby Art, and have also designed for Imagination Stamps, Stamp Addicts and Clarity. Several of my cards have featured on each of their TV shows.
I am lucky enough to make samples Jane Gill who still designs stamps for Woodware who are now part of Creative Expressions.
I love to try and join in with the challenge blogs and have been part of the DT at
Crafty Cardmakers for several years.